Closure



H. T. KRAFT CLOSURE Filed Nov. 1s 1925 I N VEN TOR.

"0 Oggi ATTORN Y.

Patented Sept. 7, 1926. i

HERMAN `fnxmirr, or AKRON, omo.

"OLO

SURE.

Ap`p1caton ledNovember 16, 1925. Serial No. 69,260.

This invention relates `to closures' suchr'as ina-y be used for variousVpurposes,the principles of which are applicable to numerous locationsand may rbe used infalvariety lof wa s. p

The object of the invention is to provide a quick acting closure which'willvfirinlyand securely seat in position by 'forcing the felosuretelescopically inwardly upon a body 'nieniber to its-seat thereon where,due'ftothe constructionl and operation yof therdevice, it will'befirnily-andlsecurely clamped. lWhile the device has a large range ofusefulness and may tbe embodied in different'fornis, there are shownherein onlya :few loffsuch forins and applications,t but =it will beapparent thatothers may be fdevised within vthe scope of the inventionas'set' forth in the description and claims fforininga `part hereof.

In the' drawingsin whichA several forms of the invention-have been shownas applied to various parts of=auto1nobilesz n `Figure 1 islalongitudinalsection of one forni of thel invention asfapplied'fto fillerspoutsof gasoline tanks; `@Figure 2 is a cro'ss-sectionon the line 22ofFigure l;

Figure `3 shows the invention aslappli'ed toa'hub cap; v

Figure 4 isa section on the lineMl-llof Figure 3;

"Figure 5 is afurther forinof the invention as applied -to aihubcap;

Figure 6 showsV a forrnV of the invention as'applied to theretainingring for a head light;

'Figure 7 isa section on 'theline7-L7 of Figure 6; and

Figures 8, 9 and l0 are enlargedvie-ws showing the operation ofthedevice and the manner in which the locking eleinentoperates and ffunctions.

'In the severali forins of t'heinvention as shown and as 'willbedescribed and inlother embodiments thereof as maybe ysuggested to thoseskilled in lthe art, the locking element consists of a coiled springwhichisseated `within a confining and retaining channel upon one of theelements of .the closure. The removable "element -of the closure isforced into position and rin so-doing the spring is ldeformed'transverselyfroni its nornial cross-section tor an ellipticalcrosssection, and upon forcing the closure to its @final position,the-spring tends to resume its normal crossLse'ctio'n. In theoperationofthe `ldeviee, however, the spring =isnot ycompletely y restoredto;-nornial condition vas'the closure -isso ldesigned that it-will`yseatv before this` xoccurs, andl as aresultl theconstant expansive'for-ce ofthe spring '-inaintains 4the elo- --sure 1in itight 1clarnpingrelation. l:Inl the making ioff'closures which utilize aVYcompressiblegaslrety this feature of fthe-device se- Vcures a liquid orgrease tightsealaboutthe enclosure f AReferring tothe specifici formsV-of the -in` ventiony and particularly `to 2Figures 1= r and 2,thefspout or? filling nozzlelofa gasoline tank is indicated' at l0. -Near theupper end '-o'f -thespout areforrned a plurality of lugs `orshort ridges l1. The closure orI cap Vis indicated at; l2, having anvouterriin or-iiange 13. ln the flower edge of the flange is f formedl asubstantially -se1nicireular.groove lorchannel in which 'is seated thelocking element-which isf-in the formof a contin- "uous'coil spring 15.lt' will beV observed `that Eas -thecap or' closure -islpressedfinwardly,l

the coil springrides overlflthe vinclined Ilugs Vivlll'andcompresses thespring transversely, andas it passes" over the Alugs,thetendency A"ofthe vspringlto'reassunie itsfnorinal `cross- `'section serv-esi todrawLthe c apA inwardly:`

\This actionnot'pnl makes:atightffitting "closure in certaiirembodimentsof thelingkven'tion. 11nv the interiorof theicapis arlranged acompress-'dolel gasketl'which bears rticularly to IFigures 3 andtfthehub plate" "is shown atfQO, being provided withra continuousfrib 21-about its outer periphery. The huby cap is shown at 22 and isi forinedabout its inner edge with a continuous chan-4 nel 23 in-which thecontinuous coil spring 24 is seated. The grease-tight' gasket, whereEthis is used, is shown at 25. In the oper- `ation' of the `devicethevhuh cap-is pressed inwardly until lthe spring passes overfthe rib 21,whereupon the cap will be secured heads of which operate insubstantially the same manner. Y

In applying the invention to hub caps, many advantages are obtained. Thefine threading which has been required hereto-A fore is eliminated,thereby reducing the cost of manufacture. The hub caps are more easilyplaced in position and strippingof .Y the threads is avoided. It is notnecessary to furnish a. wrench with` this type of hub,

cap, an ordinary screw driver being suflicient to loosen and remove thecap. Y

Figures 8,59 and 10, respectively, illustrate the several successivestages ofvcom-V pression of the spring and need not be furtherdescribed, the action lbeing clearly indicated in the drawings,attention being called to the non-circular or elliptical cross-section`of the spring in Figures 9 and l0.

In Figures 6 and 7 the invention is applied to a head light 30, thenumeral 31.

indicating the ring which holds the lens in position. In this form ofthe invention, the spring 32 is seated within a channel 33 on the bodyof the head light, while the ring is formed with` anv oppositely facedchannel 34: which is forced over thefspring. The lens is thus tightlyheld between the usual gaskets (not shown).

In this form of the invention it is not v necessary to extend the coilsof the spring about the entire circumference, the coils being formed forshort spaces only, as shown in Figure 7, the several segments of coilsbeing connectedbiy uncoiled wire 36. This form of the invention isdesirable where theextent of the spring would increase the expense,naturally, if carried about a large circumference. The action of theshort sections of springs is the same as in the other constructionsillustrated.

It will be observed that in the forms of the invention shown herein,particularly inV Figures 1,3 and 5, the formation against which thespring is Aforced by the applica-k tion of the closure is tapered orinclined, so that as the cap is forced into position, the

gradual incline will` compress the springVA transversely. This resultcould notbe obtained with a device in which the spring abutted against asquare shoulder as the closure was forced into position.

It is obvious that other changes and modifications may be made within`the scope of the invention and such as embody the features thereof asset forth in the claims are intended to be covered herein.

within the channel, a portion of the spring projecting outwardly fromthe channel, the

other member being provided with a tapering formation adapted tocompress the spring transversely as the two members are brought intotelescoping position.

@2. A closure comprising a main or body Vmember, a removable memberadapted'to ktelescope therewith, a channel formed in rone of saidmembers, a coil spring normally circular in crosssection seated withinthe channel, a portion of the spring projecting outwardly from thechannel, the other nicmber having a formation thereon which'is adaptedto distort the coilsl of the spring to an yelliptical cross-sectiony asthe two members are brought into telescoping position.

8. A closure comprisinga main or body member.. a removable ymemberadapted to i telescope therewith, achannel formed in one of saidmembers, ay coil spring normally circular in cross-section seated withinythe channel, portion of the spring projecting outwardly from thechannel, the other member having ay formation thereon which is adaptedto distort the kcoils of the spring to an elliptical cross-section asthe two members are brought into telescoping position, the two membersbeing in closed v position vwhile the spring isV elliptical incross-section.

. 4. A closure comprising a body member, a removable cap, agasketrwithin the cap, a rib about the body member, the cap being formedwith a channel, a spring within the channel, the spring being normallycircular in cross-section, but adapted to be compressed transversely asthecap is forced over the rib and the gasket contacting with the outeredge of the body member, the expansion of the s'pringthereby compressingthe gasket against the body member.

' 5. A closure comprising a'b'ody member, a removable cap, a gasketwithin the cap, a projection upon the body member, the cap being formedwith a channel, a spring within the channel, the spring being normallycircular in cross-section, but adapted to be compressed transversely asthe cap is forced yover theprojection andthe vgasket contacty ing withthe outer edge of the body member,

Within the channel, a gasket on one of said members, the spring beingadapted to be compressed transversely by the formation and the gasketcompressed between said members by the effort of the spring to regainits normal condition after the removable member is forced into positionupon the body member.

7. A closure comprising a body member, a removable cap, a gasket Withinthe cap, a proj eetion upon the body member7 the cap being formed With aolianneL a spring Within the channel7 the spring being adapted to becompressed transversely as the cap is forced over the projection and thegasket Contacting with the outer edge of the body member, before thespring returns to its normal Condition whereby the expansion of thespring compresses the gasket against the body member.

HERMAN T. KRAFT.

